Never take anything for granted
by TooMuchCaffine
Summary: Sequel to Accidents Happen: Gibbs' rule #8- never take anything for granted... Tiva. Angst, romance, family, even spirituality, a bit of everything. A bit depressing at first, but I promise it'll get better
1. Chapter 1

Okay, here you go. The much requested sequel to Accidents Happen!

* * *

Gibbs let his eyes drift back and forth, following the path of a rubber Super-Ball being tossed across the isle between Tony and Ziva's desks. The ball would leave one agent's hand, bounce once on the floor, and be caught in the other agent's hand. At first, he found it irritating, but now he was mesmerized, not able to take his eyes off it. This was why he hated slow days.

McGee placed the last of his reports on the stack, "All done boss," he reported proudly, "We're done for the week. All of it." he continued to try to prompt Gibbs into saying those magical words

"Alright." the three younger agents perked up, the bouncy ball missing its target, landing in Tony's fishbowl, causing the two occupants to scatter, "You three can go home. See you Monday. Tony, Ziva, rest up. You two have your physical evaluations first thing in the morning. McGee, you're done with them already, so you will be helping Abby go through cold cases unless we get something else to work on."

Tony bolted up from his desk, retrieving the ball from his fishbowl where Ziva had throw it, "Got it!" he held it out to her outstretched palm, "I win! You lost it when Gibbs actually said we could go home early. Therefor, I win!"

Annoyed, she placed the wet ball in a drawer, drying her hands on her pants. She scoffed, "You did not win. There was no objective, therefor you could not win."

"She's got a point, Tony," McGee pointed out, "Trust me, there was no objective in that. You two were passing that back and forth for more than three hours."

"All three of you," Gibbs ordered, "Go home before I change my mind. If you need some more work, I'm sure I can find some somewhere!" he offered, standing up from his desk

They all nodded their heads in agreement, commenting about work needing done at home, bills needing payed, or other engagements. Gibbs smiled, watching them disappear behind the elevator doors.

* * *

"So," Tony started, "Any of you actually have plans, or did you just say that so Gibbs wouldn't make you scrub toilets with a toothbrush?"

McGee and Ziva exchanged glances, "Yes, but why would Gibbs have us scrub a toilet with a toothbrush?" Ziva asked, dumbfounded, "It would be a very inefficient way of cleaning it, yes?"

"You wouldn't be doing it because it was efficient, Ziva," Tony rolled his eyes. He loved this girl, but and her analytical mind drove him nuts at times, "One: it would be your personal toothbrush, and two: generally its a form of punishment. I think its a Marine thing..."

"Yeah, I bet you know from experience, Tony," McGee smiled, picturing Tony with his head in a commode, scrubbing away while Gibbs supervised

"No, McBrown-Nose," Tony sneered, "But I've heard things. Terrible, terrible things..." he let his voice lower, flipping the emergency brake, setting the elevator in darkness. He sounded like a twelve year old, trying to frighten his friends with stories around the campfire, "probies driven to madness, legal personnel resigning in the first week, you think Palmer's the first Autopsy Gremlin? Think again! The last place you want to be is near Gibbs if he has 'busy work' that needs done."

Ziva reached over, flipping the lights back on, "Yes, now if you are done intimidating McGee-"

"I'm not intimidated, Ziva. Tony's just being an ass."

"Alright, if Tony is done being an ass," she corrected, "Then can we leave now, or are you two planning on keeping us in here until Monday?" she turned off the brake, hearing a deafening snap. The lift began to descend rapidly. She dropped her bag, grabbing the railing for dear life, "What the hell?!"

* * *

Gibbs finished signing off on the last of his paperwork, finally content that the week's work was done. Normally, a slow day was something to relish compared to the normal rushing and chaos. But today seemed abnormally reluctant to end. A full week of cold cases, missing person's reports, and hoaxes really took their toll.

He drained the last of his coffee, and grabbed his coat. He walked toward the elevator, jumping slightly when he heard a loud crash coming from below. He forced open the elevator doors, peering down into the dark shaft. His flashlight beam illuminated the top of the cart, several stories below. "_They left five minutes ago. They're not in there. They're not in there."_ He told himself, running down the stairs, two at a time.

Halfway down the stairwell, he nearly collided with Ducky, who was on the way up, "Jethro! Did you hear that crash? I told you one of these days the brakes would give out on that old shaft!" he instantly regretted his joke, seeing the pained look on Gibbs' face, "Sorry, that was in poor taste. Seeing as your team is the only one likely to be in the building at this ungodly hour, I figured it was best to see if everyone was alright."

Gibbs brushed past the ME, continuing down to the basement, with Ducky soon following, "I don't know yet, Duck. They left five minutes ago!" he prayed they were already on their way home; or in Ziva's case, already home and eating dinner.

Abby ran from her lab, hearing the footsteps crashing down in the metal stairwell, "Hey, any idea what happened? I think the elevator just went out in a big way." her lab was down in the cool recesses of the basement. The fallen cart was just below them. "Gibbs?" her voice got softer, seeing Gibbs' hesitance as he forced open the doors, "Please tell me that it was empty?" she pleaded

Ducky wrapped her up in a hug, "Not to worry, Jethro thinks that we are the only ones left in the building. Tony, Ziva, and Timothy left a few moments ago. Even the janitor already went home." he assured her

Gibbs jumped down onto the roof of the lift, pulling open the emergency hatch. If this wasn't an emergency, what was? The sight below him was sickening. Tony and Ziva lay thrown limply on the floor, neither of them moving. McGee sat on the bottom, staring up at him, his eyes pleadingly looking up at him, "Gibbs? We need some help!"


	2. Chapter 2

AN: I'm not a doctor. Don't take my word on any of this in regards to its accuracy.

* * *

Tony woke up, blinking quickly to adjust to the bright light shining directly into his eyes. Frustrated, he tried to turn his head away, but found it impossible to do so, seeing as his head was immobilized. "Easy, Tony," a woman's voice told him, "We're gonna get you in to get a CT scan here once we get you to Bethesda, as soon as we know what's going on in your head, we can take the brace off."

"You don't want to know what's going on in his head," Tony could hear Gibbs' voice somewhere nearby. He tried to look for him, but all he could see was the interior of the ambulance, "Trust me."

Tony forced a laugh, "Funny, boss." he took a moment to assess himself. Nearly every inch of his body ached and throbbed, but the actual pain was bearable. He couldn't move anything, a realization which disturbed him, "Why can't I move?" he wondered out loud

"You're strapped down, that would be the main reason," the woman was standing over him again, preparing a syringe, "Any pain, Tony?"

"No!" he replied a little too quickly. He could handle gory crime scenes, being shot at, and risking brain damage with every word that left his mouth, but needles were just too much, "No pain, I'm fine!"

"Nice try, Tony," Gibbs patted his shoulder, giving him a little reassurance while the medic cleaned a patch of skin on his arm, "Just a little poke, then you're done. You won't even care about it once its done." he knew Tony hated anything that had to do with medicine; needles, hospitals, and drugs, all of it. And for good reasons too, but at the same time, he needed help

Tony closed his eyes, feeling the cold tip pierce his skin, "Done?" he asked, already knowing the answer

"Yep, you're done." she assured him, "Give that a minute to kick in, and you'll be feeling better in no time."

"I doubt that." he mumbled, his vision already blurring

* * *

"Really, I'm okay," McGee insisted as Ducky examined his pupils, having him follow a light with his eyes, "I didn't fall, or hit my head, so I don't have a concussion. Well, technically we all fell, but I didn't hit my head! Can I go now?" he was getting exasperated by all of this. He escaped from this relatively unscathed.

"Timothy, you are indeed fine, as I can now confirm," Ducky moved the light away, giving him a chance to blink a little, "You are free to go, as long as you promise to go home and rest later tonight." he handed him an ice pack to rest against his sore knee; the only testament he'd sustained from the incident

Abby squeezed him tightly, "Yay! You're okay!" she turned to Ducky, "Can he go to the hospital first? We want to make sure Tony and Ziva are okay." she smiled, knowing that Ducky couldn't tell her 'no', "Please?"

"Alright, but go home after," he dismissed them, "Hopefully, this will all be behind us soon enough, and we can have a big laugh over how Gibbs finally slew the elevator." he knew he could tell quite a story about this. It wasn't something that happened everyday, "Both of you give them my best wishes, and I will be there as soon as I can. I need to go and check on my mother, and arrange for her caretaker to come in for a while."

Abby nodded, half dragging McGee up the stairs and out to her car

* * *

A steady beeping woke Ziva from her deep sleep, drawing her from her dream and into reality. She didn't remember much, only the argument in the elevator. She couldn't remember the details, but it was over something stupid, she was sure of that.

The room was dark and cool, the only light coming from the street light outside. In the corner, she could see a silhouette, "Hey, you awake?" Gibbs moved over to sit on her bed, "Its late, everyone already went home." he told her

"What?" she mumbled sleepily, "Are Tony and McGee alright? I remembered there was a snap, and after that everything is a bit...bury?" her head ached the longer she thought about it

"Blurry," he corrected, "McGee's at home with Abby." he moved to the curtains around her bed, pulling them back, revealing the bed beside her, "And Tony's right here." she was relieved to see that with the exception of a bandage on his head and an IV in his arm, he looked fine and healthy. He was alive and well, and his face seemed to glow in the dim light. She felt her heart tug a bit, seeing him look so helpless. She tried to sit up, but Gibbs wouldn't allow it, "No, you stay here. You need to stay in bed for the next week or so, and get some rest." he knew the moment the words left his lips that she wouldn't be thrilled about this

"What? I cannot even sit up?" she was appalled, "Would you mind telling me why?" she was a little worried that she didn't want to know the answer. But at the same time, Gibbs would not keep secrets from her; he knew better.

Gibbs sighed, he really didn't want to be the one to tell her this, but he knew he had to. She had every right to know. "You're pregnant, Ziva." he gave her a minute to let the revelation sink in, "The fall might make you miscarry, so for the next week or so, you're on bed rest. Hopefully, the baby's okay."

She let her hand drift to her abdomen, protectively holding her belly. Was there really a child in there? She wasn't late, and hadn't felt sick, maybe this was all a mistake? "Gibbs, I cannot be pregnant!" she shook her head, "They must have made a mistake. Perhaps confused my chart with someone else's?"

He put a hand on her shoulder, which he could feel shaking, "Ziva, you are pregnant. There's a baby inside you. If you don't believe me, ask your doctor. He even found its heartbeat," he took out his cell phone, finding the recording for her. He didn't believe it either until Shanon let him listen to Kelly's heart for the first time, "Here, listen." he let the recording play, filling the room with the sounds of a rapid, faint heartbeat

Her eyes watered a little, "That is my child?" Gibbs nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes, "What if...what if it does not survive? What if I lose it?"

He tucked the blankets gently around her, trying to make her more comfortable, "There's always a chance something's gonna go wrong, Ziva. You can't go through life worrying over it. If this child was meant to be, it'll live. If not, trust me, nothing hurts worse, but it does happen and it isn't your fault. No matter what though, it's yours. Rule eight: never take anything for granted. This baby, whether you planned it or not, is yours." he let her cry her eyes dry, holding her against his chest, "Does he know?" he gestured to the bed where Tony lay snoring softly

"No," she sighed, not looking forward to that conversation, "I did not even know until you told me."

"He'll take care of you, and your baby," Gibbs assured her, "Do you have shotgun weddings in your country?"

* * *

AN: This will probably be the last update until after June 11th. Damn finals week! I'm still over two months behind on schoolwork, so I should probably work on that instead of doing this. Oh well, too late!


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Sorry for the super slow update! I've been busy with finals! Thank God its over for another six months! And, I've been enjoying the snow (yeah, we here in Oregon have snow in June!). Bonus points to whoever tells me what Tony's quoting (sort of a no-brainer). I'll try to update all my stories in the next couple of days!

Let me know what you think of this chapter (longest of the story so far!); Its a weird combination of fluff and seriousness...or at least its supposed to be.

* * *

Tony rolled over, shielding his eyes from the light out the window. He couldn't remember much, except the ambulance and the drugs. He sat up, an action which took more concentration than he thought it would. His limbs felt heavy and boneless, but his body was pleasantly numb and painfree.

A realization dawned on him. Where were Ziva and McGee? He drew back the curtain around his bed. The looming figure lurking behind it startled him, "Boss? Don't do that!" he gasped, "You can be really creepy when you want to, ya know that?"

Gibbs said nothing, taking a seat beside him. The faintest trace of a smile was visible on his lips, "You sound tired, DiNozzo." he told him simply, "Been sleeping at night?"

Tony shifted nervously, "Well, I did just wake up in a hospital, so no, not really. Why do you ask?" this wasn't a conversation he really wanted to have with Gibbs right now

"No reason," Gibbs grinned, a look that seemed almost malicious, "You know, Ziva's still here too?" he waited to judge Tony's reaction; a neutral one, "Seems the doc thinks something's wrong. She's nauseous, tired, sore..."

"She's okay though, right?" Tony stood up, trying to head for the door. Gibbs grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to sit back down, "Look, tell me what's wrong! You yourself said you were okay with it, as long as we kept it out of the office, and I didn't hurt her. We have, and I haven't! What's wrong with her?" he fought against Gibbs, but to no avail.

"Oh, its debilitating alright," Gibbs told him, sadly shaking his head, still with the smile, "Its something she's gonna have to deal with for the rest of her life. Deprives you of sleep, gives you the worst damn headaches, causes your whole body to swell and ache...Its costly too, I hope she can manage." he almost laughed at the look of horror on Tony's face, "Congratulations, DiNozzo!" he patted the younger man's back

"'Congratulations'? For what? What did I do?" suddenly, it hit him like a ton of bricks, "Oh, God. She's pregnant!" he shook his head in disbelief, falling back onto the bed blankly staring at the ceiling. What had he done? He made an assassin hormonal. He'd impregnated the daughter of the Director of the Mossad, "Well, now the only question is, what should I be more afraid of? There's her; hormonal, angry, and probably really freaked out. There's her dad; forget shotgun wedding, he'll get an Uzi. And of course, you; what are you going to do to me?" he shuddered at the thought

"Nothing." Gibbs promised, "You got yourself into this, you go through with it. However you chose to do that is your problem."

"But, you're not going to force me to marry her or anything?" he was a bit surprised. From what he could tell, Gibbs was more of a father to her than her biological father ever was, "I might regret asking, but why?"

"I know a thing or two about marriage, Tony," he used his first name, letting him know this was serious, "Its hard to make 'em work, even if it isn't forced on you. My third wife? I married her because she got pregnant. A few months later, she lost it and asked for a divorce, leaving me broke and homeless. We got married, but we didn't love each other; never did."

"So...you're saying I shouldn't marry her?" he felt his heart plunge a bit. Maybe marrying her wouldn't be so bad?

Gibbs smacked him on the back of the head; hard, "No! What I'm saying is, you should ask yourself, 'why do I want to marry this girl?' Because 'I knocked her up' isn't good enough." he glared at him, "Come on, do you love her?" he asked

"Of course I love her!" Tony was appalled, but a bit startled my his own reaction, "I love her..." he repeated to himself

Gibbs smiled, handing him a small box, "Now that's a reason to marry a girl."

Tony opened the box, revealing a simple solitaire on a gold band, "This isn't from an ex-wife is it? 'Cause I'm pretty sure that ring's cursed!" he chuckled

"Nah! I gave the same ring to three of my ex-wives," he didn't really need to say which one was different, "All three ended the same way, and I won't see yours end like that. You don't give that to her unless you're sure." Tony stared down at the diamond, sparkling in the sunlight, "If you don't know, well, then you're not ready. Once you know for sure, you'll feel it."

* * *

Tony drew the curtain back slowly, not wanting to wake her in case she was still sleeping. He gasped a little when he saw her. She was laying there so still and relaxed, almost helpless. Her pale body was encased in around a dozen blankets and pillows, most of which looked like they came from Abby's apartment; seeing as several of the pillows were in the shape of bats in various pastel colors.

He sat on her bed, patting her cheek softly to wake her up, "Hey, sweetcheeks? Come on sleepyhead, wake up..." he coaxed gently. She groaned a bit, turning away from him, "Lazy bones!" he teased tickling her side a bit, something he knew she couldn't stand

"Stubborn jackass," she countered, slapping his hands away, "Are you alright?" she started to sit up, but Tony forced her to lie back, "I am fine, I can sit up if I want to!"

"I just came to see how you were doing." he brushed her hair back, tucking it behind her ears, "You know I heard a rumor? Are we having a baby?" he asked her hopefully

"Maybe?" she broke down into tears. "I don't know..."

This definitely wasn't the reaction he'd expected. He sat up beside her, pulling her into his arms, "Ziva, don't cry!" he hated seeing her like this, "Come on, what's wrong? Talk to me?" he pulled the curtains shut, giving them a little privacy

"I might lose it, Tony!" she whimpered, "The doctor says that the fall might cause me to miscarry. This morning, there was a little bleeding, and they are not sure if the baby is still alive or not."

"Ziva...don't cry..." he wiped away her tears, still cradling her close. He couldn't blame her for being so upset; tears were already starting to form in his own eyes too, "It'll be okay, I promise. We'll get through this, even if-" he couldn't even finish the sentence. He had just learned this baby existed, how could it be taken away so soon?

"What if I lose it?" she whispered, "The doctor is going to check in a little while, to see if the baby is alive. What if it is already gone?" she clung to him like a lifeline. Tony felt her bump his pocket, the one which held the ring. He placed his hand over it, trying to hide it from her. Now was not the time.

A nurse pushed open the curtains, becoming uncomfortable at the sight of the broken couple in front of her, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt anything...they're ready for you down in imaging, your ultrasound has been moved up."

Tony and Ziva exchanged glanced, "Are you ready to find out?" Tony asked her

She nodded, letting him help her up, "Yes. I need to know."

* * *

Ziva squirmed a little as the cold gel was smeared across her stomach, "I'm sorry, it feels a bit weird at first, but it only takes a few minutes, and then we'll get you cleaned up," the technician assured her, "Okay...are you the father?" she asked Tony, holding Ziva's hand

"Well, that or 'Lucy's got some esplaining to do'" he jumped a little, feeling Ziva's fist hit his stomach, "I'm kidding! Geez, you hit hard..." he rubbed at his sore side, "I did kinda earn that though, didn't I?"

The technician shook her head, smiling, "Okay, if you two are about done..." she passed the probe along Ziva's abdomen. Ziva shifted nervously, waiting for any kind of news. Tony continued to squeeze her hand, his grip tightening as time passed, "There!" she declared, "Found it!"

The sound of a tiny rapid heartbeat filled the room, along with a soft swishing noise, "Is that normal?" Tony asked, squinting as he looked at the monitor, "It looks like a jelly bean! A mutant, humanoid, living jelly bean..."

"Yes, that's what it should look like," the technician envied Ziva, seeing as she was allowed to hit him, "From what I can tell, you're about three weeks or so along. Its too early to tell sex, but what I can tell you is that everything looks fine from here. You should probably still stay on bed rest for another day or two, just to be safe, but I think this looks promising!" Tony and Ziva stared in wonder at the little thing on the screen, both of them lost for words. "I'll just leave you two alone for a minute."

Tony sat up next to Ziva on the table, wrapping his arms around her middle. He'd forgotten about the gooey gel that covered her belly. He vigorously wiped it off on the sheet, "Ew! What the hell is that stuff?"

Ziva looked up at him, nestling comfortably into his arms, "Babies are messy, Tony. Are you sure you know what you are getting yourself into?" she had been hopeful that he would be supportive of this, "I can manage on my own, if it is necessary. Just because I am carrying your child does not mean you have an obligation to me."

"Yeah, it kinda does!" he kissed her forehead gently, "That's my kid in there!" he pointed to the screen, "Well, in there technically," he pointed to Ziva's belly, "But I'm not leaving you to deal with this on your own. We're in this together. Its baby math; one man, add one woman, divide legs, multiply!" Ziva rolled her eyes at his crude joke. He stared down at her lovingly. Now was as good of a time as he was likely to get, "Ziva, there's something important I need to ask you." He reached for the ring, "Ziva? Will you marry me?"

Ziva stared at him in disbelief, she hadn't expected this, at least not this soon. They'd only been together a few weeks, but in those few weeks she'd felt more alive than in the entire rest of her life. "Yes!" she decided, "But I have to clear up one thing?"

"Name it!" his heart soared, he would do anything for this girl

"How is a shotgun involved here?"


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Sorry for the wait guys! I've been too lazy to peel myself off the couch (its been in the 100's with 60 humidity and thunderstorms!) I hope this chapter isn't a disappointment, I was running short of ideas. Next update won't take as long, I promise!

* * *

Tony knocked in the doorway, peering in to the now familiar hospital room. Jen and Abby had practically moved into the room with Ziva, barely leaving her side for the past few days, "Knock knock?" he called, "Anyone order room service?"

Abby hopped down off of the bed and took a seat in a vacant chair next to Jen, inviting Tony to sit up with Ziva, "Hi, Tony!" she smiled, "Congratulations! We saw the ring; we're invited to the wedding, right?"

"Let me guess," he said, looking around at the smiling group of women, "You've already named my baby, decided on the color of the nursery, decided on breast feeding or bottle feeding, and I don't get a say?" he was largely joking, but for the past several days, all he'd heard from Abby was baby this and baby that. Jen wasn't much better.

"No," Ziva sighed giving him a reassuring peck on the cheek, "Just on the nursery. We are thinking a light green. Where is my food?" she demanded, reaching for the grocery sack Tony held in his arms

Tony held the bag just out of her reach, "First of all, you don't need to worry about losing the baby, you're most definitely still pregnant."

"You can tell this by what she eats?" Jen asked incredulously, "Okay, how?"

Rummaging through the plastic sack, he pulled out what passed for a breakfast for his fiancée, "Ice cream for breakfast; not that weird by itself." he handed Ziva the carton and a spoon, "I will only give you these if you promise me that you won't mix them in any combination!"

Ziva chuckled, "That would depend on what you give me next then, would it not?"

Tony shuddered a bit, "Dill pickles, peanut butter, and Oreos."

"Oreos with peanut butter is good!" Abby protested, "I practically lived off that combination when I was a kid!"

"That's not the one he's worried about, Abby," Jen smiled, "I see what you mean, Tony. Don't worry, it will pass." she assured him, seeing his mortified expression as Ziva dipped a garlic dill pickle in peanut butter

"Oh, God," Tony felt his stomach lurch, "Now I know why pregnant women barf...Ziva, stop!" he put his head between his knees, trying to keep his breakfast down

Ziva put down her strange snack, "Tony, breathe!" she ran a hand along his back, "I am sorry, it really is disgusting. I only did that to...speak you out?"

"'Freak out', Ziva," Abby corrected, "Looks like it worked too!"

"No more!" Tony gaged, "Its bad enough you're pregnant, that's gross enough!"

Ziva slapped him hard across the face, leaving a bright red mark. She angrily ran into the bathroom, locking herself in. Tony quickly ran to the door, pounding at it furiously, "Ziva, come on! That's not what I meant!"

"That I am disgusting? Or that your child is?" she snapped through the door between sobs

"Oh boy," Tony sighed, rubbing his temples, "That was dumb."

Jen put a supportive hand on his shoulder, "She's just a bit hormonal. In a few minutes, she'll probably be crying, upset over the way she reacted. Give her some space, and just be there for her once she settles down."

"She'll calm down." Abby assured him, giving him a small hug

Tony nodded, "Ziva?" he called, a bit more softly, "What I mean is, you're bleeding, puking, and craving these culinary travesties, and that's a bit gross, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. And its only going to get worse! I mean, there's diapers, baby puke, and have you seen what kids do with crayons, paint, mud, pretty much anything they get their tiny little hands on?" he could hear a small laugh from the other side, "Come on out, okay? You're ice cream'll melt."

Ziva unlocked the door and vacated her little fortress. Tony put an arm around her waist, leading her back to her bed, "I am sorry, Tony." she dabbed at her eyes, trying to hide her tears, "I over reacted."

"Hey, you're allowed," he gently picked her up and set her down on the bed, "You're supposed to be on bed rest, remember?"

She nodded, "I know." her hand wandered down to her stomach

"Can you feel it yet?" Abby asked, placing her hand on Ziva's belly, "Where is it?" she didn't put much effort into hiding her excitement

"Abby, its the size of a peanut!" Tony told her, "Trust me, once you can feel it, Ziva'll let you know."

Ziva bolted up from bed, running back to the bathroom. This time Tony followed her in before she could shut the door, "What did I say this time?" he knew he could put his foot in his mouth, usually without realizing it, but he honestly didn't know what he did this time. "Oh, that..." he knelt down with Ziva next to the commode, holding her long hair out of the way, "I told you that stuff would make you puke!"

She groaned, punching him in the arm, "You are never touching me again!"

"You don't mean that," at least he hoped, "Here, let's get you some water, okay?" he led her over to the sink, handing her a cup of water, "Its gonna be a long nine months."

* * *

Ducky wandered into the room, smiling at the sight before him. Tony had slipped under the covers with his bride to be, and the two were curled up together, sound asleep. He couldn't help but chuckle, seeing Ziva punch Tony in her sleep. The hit, though soft and playful, woke Tony, "Hey, Ducky!"

"Hello, Anthony," he sat down on the foot of the bed, "I believe congratulations are in order?"

"Thanks, Duck," he carefully freed his arm from under Ziva, "She's doing most of the work though."

"Yes, I see," he leaned over Ziva, giving her a peck on the cheek, "Congratulations to you as well, dear."

"You just come here to say congrats?" Tony asked

"No, not entirely," he offered Tony a box and an envelope, "The first thing is largely advice. I sent out an email to all the fathers of NCIS, asking for advice to give a pregnant father."

"'Pregnant father'?" Tony repeated, "How does that work?"

Ducky laughed, "Not physically pregnant, but dealing with a significant other who is. How to cope with thing like cravings, mood swings, morning sickness..."

"Been through all three just this morning," Tony told him rather proudly, "I can handle it...kind of."

"I'm sure..." he handed Tony the box, "The second thing is for both of you. I don't know if you want to wake you're fiancée, or wait until later, but I do hope you will enjoy it." he spoke a bit more softly, watching Ziva toss around in her sleep, gradually shaking more violently, "Is she alright?"

Tony sighed. He'd prayed this was long since behind them, "Ziva, you're dreaming again, wake up!" he shook her awake, gently but firmly, "Easy there, its okay."

She bolted upright, sweat pouring down her face in little rivulets, "Tony? Ducky?" she looked around, having temporarily forgotten she was in the hospital

"Are you alright, dear?" Ducky felt her brow, "Oh, dear. How long have you been running a fever?" he hit the call button on the wall, "I wouldn't worry, you don't feel too warm. A little Tylenol will bring it right down."

Tony could still feel his heart pounding away, and the knowledge that she was running a fever wasn't helping, "Hey, you want to see what's in the box?" Tony offered, handing it to Ziva, "Ducky brought us a gift."

"Ducky, you did not have to do that," Ziva smiled, "Thank you though."

"My pleasure," he told her, "Go ahead, open it!"

Within the box lay a couple of books, most of them related to pregnancy and child bearing. Under the thick layer of books was a large soft quilt. It was a warm, thick blanket with intricate shapes and patterns in soft baby colors, alternating between blue and pink. "Ducky, thank you." Ziva examined it carefully, amazed at the detail. It looked to be handmade

"Incredibly my mother made that," Ducky explained, "Or at least most of it. Her arthritis flares up from time to time, so I had to finish it for her. You'll be due around January, so I figured a nice thick blanket would be an asset." he wrapped it comfortably around her, "Until then, you could probably use it for yourself."

"Thanks Ducky," Tony was flipping through one of the books, "But how'd you make a blanket that fast? I mean, we just found out about the pregnancy two days ago!"

Ducky smirked, "I had my suspicions. I'd seen the way you two have been lately, always so protective and possessive of one another. That and the fact that on any given day, only one of your cars leaves at the end of the day, I figured something like this was bound to happen eventually. Though I must admit, I didn't think it would be so soon! I've spent most of the past couple of days finishing it up."

"Your mom made this?" Tony was a bit skeptical, "Your mom. The demented woman with the corgis? Gray hair, dentures, thinks I'm an Italian gigolo furniture mover?"

"The very same."

"Okay..." why did that make him nervous?


	5. Chapter 5

AN: By the way, this chapter's a bit depressing, sorry. I know you're going to hate me for this one...

By the way, if any of you out there are particularly religious, this chapter is not meant to offend

Oh, for those of you who haven't heard, Obama had a slip of the tongue here in Oregon a while back, saying he'd been to 57 states, not counting Alaska and Hawaii, and he thought he had two more to go. They're now selling lapel pins with the extra states. You'll understand why I'm telling you this once you read the chapter...

* * *

Tony walked into Ziva's room, slipping under the covers with her. She was still sleeping. The doctors told her she could go home this evening if she rested. He slid his arms around her still flat belly, pulling her close to him, "Hey, Ziva. How are my two favorite girls doing?"

"What makes you so sure it is a girl?" she asked, not bothering to open her eyes, "The doctor does not even know yet."

"I don't," he said, "But I want one." he gave her a little kiss, "Just as pretty as her mom, and probably just as dangerous. That way I won't have to keep the boys away from her." he placed his hand low on her abdomen, feeling for their child. Much to his surprise, she jerked away, kicking at him, "What? What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" she insisted, breathing heavily, "You just startled me."

"Uh huh," he wasn't buying it, and when she wasn't paying attention, he hit the call button, "Sorry I 'startled' you."

* * *

A few minutes later, one of the nurses, now a familiar face, came in, "Is everything okay in here?"

"Yes, fine," Ziva said, "When can I leave?"

Tony took the opportunity to touch her stomach again, knowing that she would hate him for it. Again, she winced and tried to hide the pain. He felt awful for hurting her again, but he knew that if something was wrong, he would never be able to wash her blood off his hands.

"Are you sure you're okay?" the nurse walked up to Ziva's side, checking her stomach, "Mind if I take a look?"

The nurse carefully touched Ziva's belly, which again caused a sharp pain to pierce her side. "Stop!" Ziva ordered, pulling away from the woman's touch, "Do not touch me!" she grabbed the nurse's hand, twisting it behind her back before Tony grabbed her wrist, forcing her to let go, "Sorry."

Puzzled, the nurse went over to the cupboards, "I don't know why you're having so much pain, sweety. Let's get some blood to the lab, and see what they can come up with."

Ziva groaned. She'd lost track of how many times she'd had her blood drawn, this week alone. Even though the nurse was able to draw it though her IV catheter, it was still aggravating. Tony sensed her frustration and pain, and took her hand in his, "How long will it be until we should know something?"

"It depends," she said, labeling the vials, "If the lab isn't too busy, we'll know pretty quick. But if they don't find something right away, they'll keep screening it until they do, which might take a while. You get some rest, okay? I'll let the doctor know what's going on, and get his take on it."

"Thank you," Ziva sighed

* * *

Ziva sat in Tony's lap while he had his arms around her, watching the little TV in the corner. For the first few minutes after the nurse had left, she'd been so worried that something may be wrong with the baby, she kept checking her abdomen every few seconds. To take her mind off the stress, Tony turned on something for the two of them to watch, and let her relax in his arms. "Is this political garbage ever going to end?" Tony flipped the station away from the news, "I thought after the primaries, 'hey no more election stuff until like September!' Shows what I know..."

Ziva laughed, "No, as long as there are people saying and doing stupid things, someone somewhere will have a cell phone with a camera."

"Yeah, the United 57 States," he chuckled, "God bless the extra America too!"

The doctor knocked in the doorway, "Good morning, Ziva. Feeling okay?"

"No, not really," she finally admitted

"Well, I'm afraid I don't come bearing good news," he sat down on the bed with the couple. "Your bloodwork came back. We compared it to what it was forty-eight hours ago, and it doesn't look good. Your HCG levels haven't changed at all."

Tony tightened his grip around Ziva, moving his hands a bit higher so he wouldn't squeeze where she was sore, "And...that's bad?"

The doctor sighed, "Normally, the HCG levels should have nearly doubled."

"So, what is wrong?" Ziva was fighting the urge to cry, but she wouldn't do it here; not now

"It means that either you're having an early miscarriage, or you have an ectopic pregnancy." he told her, "Either way, I'm afraid the baby...isn't going to survive."

Tony could sense the meltdown coming, feeling her shaking a bit, "What the hell is an 'ectopic pregnancy'?"

"It means that the baby isn't developing in the uterus, but rather outside it," he explained, "Usually in the tubes. Considering the abdominal pain and bleeding, that's the most likely problem."

"But it is still there, yes?" Ziva's voice was barely above a whisper, "Its not where it is supposed to be, but it is still there, right?"

"Ziva, you have to understand this. The only place a pregnancy can thrive is in the uterus. If it stays in the tube, it will rupture." he tried to be sympathetic, but he also had to be serious

"And that's bad?" Tony asked

"If the tube ruptures, she'll bleed heavily, become faint, possibly go into shock and die."

Ziva now had tears streaming down her cheeks, "What can be done?"

"You're going to need to have surgery," he explained, "I've booked the OR for in three hours. Its a really easy procedure, that shouldn't take much more than an hour. Dr. Metternich is one of our best surgeons, he'll take good care of you. His wife had an ectopic pregnancy last year, so he knows what you're going through, and he'll make sure everything works out fine."

Tony clung to Ziva tighter, not ever wanting to let her go, "There's nothing you can do to save the baby?"

"I'm afraid not," he told him sadly, "right now, the only thing we can do is try to save Ziva. Thankfully we caught it quick enough, there shouldn't be much damage. Hopefully, you'll be able to have a healthy, normal pregnancy once you're ready."

"What went wrong?" Ziva whimpered, gripping Tony's hand tightly enough to cut off the blood flow, but he didn't seem to mind

"There is _nothing_ you did wrong, Ziva!" Tony insisted

"He's right," the doctor agreed, "It just happens sometimes."

* * *

Waiting patiently for the hours to pass before her surgery, Tony lay in bed beside Ziva, who was sound asleep. The doctor had advised that she rest a bit first, to conserver her strength which she would need to recover. He knelt down and kissed her forehead, careful not to wake her as he slipped out. "I'll be back soon, I promise."

Tony walked across the street to the little chapel on the corner. He didn't consider himself to be very religious, but he didn't have much else to turn to. Even in the violent, chaotic world it was part of, the doors to the church were always open. He walked in, remembering the old customs, crossing himself and touching the basin on holy water upon entering.

He sat down at an empty pew, they all were empty at this time of day, and flipped through one of the prayer books. To be honest, he had no idea what he was doing. Why was he there? What could God possibly do for him?

Tony looked up at the vast ceiling, expanding skyward, "Well God, its me. Right now, your number one enemy. Sorry, Satan. You'll get your spot back in a bit." he was pissed, and as illogical as it seemed, he was taking his frustration on the only thing in the world that had any control over this life, "Yeah, I blame you. You took my mom, you took Kate, you took Paula, and now you take my baby? I barely even knew it existed! It never even had a chance!" he threw the bibles, hymnals and prayer books, ransacking the church, "What the hell did I do to you? Are you not going to be happy until you take each and every precious little thing in this world from me? What's next? You going to take Ziva too? Gibbs, Abby, McGee? You want them too?" he laughed dryly, "Do you get some sort of sick kick out of this?"

"God always has enticed more questions than answers," the priest told him, picking up the tossed books, "I am sorry for your losses, but I am afraid that enticing the Almighty's wrath is not the best way to go about things."

"Sorry, Father," Tony sighed, "I just don't know what to do."

"Quite understandable," the priest sat beside him, looking down he noticed that Tony had no ring, "So your girlfriend lost a child?"

"_My_ child." Tony emphasized

"How is she doing, my son?"

Tony had to think about it for a moment, "I'm not sure. Not real great, who would be?" he felt awful, sitting here wallowing in his own misery, while Ziva was in the hospital, probably inconsolable.

"Well, perhaps the answer to your problems cannot be found by cursing God, or desecrating the church, but maybe you will find purpose elsewhere. I am guessing she is at Bethesda?"

"Yeah."

"Yes, I guessed as much. You are not the first to come here, grieving and lost from that place. A friend, a loved one lost, and people often come her for guidance."

"Any such guidance you can give me father?"

"Go and find your girl. I am sure she is suffering as much as, if not more than you. Remember, hate is only defeated by love."

Hearing these words, Tony bolted for the door, trying to get back to Ziva as fast as his legs would carry him. He stopped at the doorway, turning around, "Thank you, Father!"

AN: Please review; loved it? Hated it?


	6. Chapter 6

AN: I know its short, but I'll have the next chapter up by the end of the week!

* * *

Tony returned to Ziva's room, surprised to see a man sitting on the foot of her bed. He had graying hair, which was cut just above the collar of his lab coat. He was flipping through some pages, showing her diagrams and information, "The whole thing should be over in an hour, two at the most. You can go home later tonight if you feel up to it."

Ziva nodded, "Thank you, doctor."

"My pleasure," he smiled, turning to Tony, still standing in the doorway, "Hello, there!"

"Um, hi?" Tony sat down in one of the bucket chairs beside Ziva's bed

"Tony, this is Dr. Metternich," Ziva introduced him, not looking at Tony directly, "He is going to be my surgeon." the two men shook hands

"I'm sorry for your loss," the man told them sincerely, "I know what you're going through, and I'm not just saying that. The best advice I can give the two of you is to stick by each other. You'll be surprised how much it helps, knowing you're not going through it alone." he stood up and headed for the door, "I'll see you in a little while, Ziva."

"He seemed nice," Tony told her, "You okay?"

She sighed sadly, "No, not really. Where did you go?" she finally met his gaze, her eyes portraying sadness, confusion and hurt

"Well, I figured since you aren't allowed to eat before your surgery, it would have been mean to eat lunch around you. So I stepped out for a minute, and grabbed a bite real quick." he lied, "Why?"

"I was worried," she admitted nervously, not knowing quite how to put things

He sat down next to her in the bed, pulling her close, "About what?"

"Us," she fidgeted a bit, twisting the band on her finger, "Do you...still want to get married?"

Tony was a bit shocked, but he should have known this discussion was coming, "Hey," he lifted her fallen chin, "What kind of question is that?"

"The only reason you proposed you me is because you...knocked me down, yes?" she knew she'd gotten it wrong, but neither of them cared. She placed her ring in Tony's hand, "I am no longer going to have your child; you have no obligation to marry me."

"Ziva..." he held her as tightly as he could without hurting her, "I asked you to marry me because I love you, not because I got you pregnant. To be honest, I thought you'd say no." she looked at him in disbelief, "Yeah. I figured with my track record regarding commitment, you wouldn't think I was ready. I'd been waiting for weeks to ask you, but I couldn't figure out how. Where, when, what to wear...its complicated! Its easy for you. All you have to say is yes or no! But for guys, its a lot of pressure; this is one of those things you remember for the rest of your life, especially if you screw up! I wanted it to be special, and what was more special than seeing our baby for the first time?"

Ziva nodded, tears forming in her eyes, "I would have said yes."

"I know that," he kissed her softly, sliding the ring back on her hand, "So will you marry me? Still?"

She smiled warmly, "Of course."

* * *

Abby sat up behind Ziva, combing through her thick hair, "Good grief!" she pulled hard on Ziva's scalp, trying to pull it back for her, "I've seen yaks with thinner hair!"

"Abs, if you put any more pins in her hair, she's gonna get struck by lightening!" Tony warned

"Well, you try getting her mop to cooperate!" she sighed, "Those nurses always manage to knot it up. Plus those hair nets are nasty and annoying."

"You did not have to fight with it at all, Abby," Ziva smiled, letting Tony take over

Abby tackled Ziva, nearly knocking her off the bed, "Hey, I am here for you! If you need _anything_ I'm your girl!" after she got the call from Tony, she'd spent an hour in her lab, crying. She didn't understand how such awful things happened to good people. If God truly did value all life, why take it away so soon?

"Abby, I'm sure you'll be a big help to her once she's home, resting," McGee assured her, "But for now, just try not to scalp her."

"There!" Tony held up the brush in triumph, handing Abby her fistful of unneeded pins, "How'd I do?"

Remarkably, it looked pretty nice. He'd managed to tie her hair back in a French braid without dozens of pins, or ripping Ziva's hair out by the roots. "Wow, Tony I think you've found your calling! You're like, the only straight male hair stylist in the DC area!" Abby handed Ziva a mirror so she could see the back

"I am just going to assume I walked in mid-conversation?" Ducky asked, walking in wearing scrubs, "Hello, Ziva! Are you ready, dear?"

"Ducky, didn't you have time to change?" McGee asked, noticing Ducky's attire, "Considering you look like you fit right in with the surgical staff, won't it cause some confusion?" Ducky was wearing a hairnet, a mask hanging around his neck, even those dweeby little hospital booties

"Well considering I will be joining them this afternoon, it is a good thing I will fit in!" Ducky told Ziva happily, "I spoke with your surgeon; a bright fellow, I first met him when I spoke at a convention last year in New York. He was able to pull some strings, and I will be with you the whole time, dear!"

"Wow," Abby was excited, practically bouncing in her seat, "So, you get to cut Ziva open?"

"Oh, heavens no!" Ducky laughed, "For insurance reasons, I will be there merely as an observer. Dr. Metternich will perform the procedure. How do you like the sound of that?" he asked his soon to be patient

"That sounds very nice, Ducky," Ziva told him, "I am assuming because you are here then, that they are ready for me?"

Ducky nodded, "Yes, the hour is upon us."

A nurse walked in, smiling kindly, "Hi, Ziva," she pulled a vial from her pocket, "I'm going to have to give you this. Its a sedative and a muscle relaxant. While it will not put you to sleep completely, it will make you sleepy." she emptied the liquid into her IV, "That will take effect any minute now. One of the orderlies will take you down to the OR momentarily."

Tony sat up on the bed next to her, holding her steady as she swayed, struggling to stay sitting upright. McGee held out a hand, gripping Ziva's gently, "You're gonna be okay. Ducky won't let anything happen to you." he promised her

Abby tucked Bert under Ziva's arm, letting a loud fart fill the room, "You can borrow Bert again. He'll keep you company."

Ziva nodded, laying back to keep from falling over. She could feel the drugs taking hold over her body, making her feel warm and relaxed. Ducky pulled the blankets around her, "It will be over before you know it." he kissed her cheek sweetly

* * *

Tony walked with the gurney, following Ziva down the hallway. She was pretty out of it, staring blankly at the ceiling passing overhead. Ducky stopped Tony at the doors to the operating room, "I'm sorry, my boy. This is as far as you can go."

He nodded in understanding, leaning over Ziva's gurney, "I'll be right there when you wake up, and for the next few weeks, you won't have to lift a finger."

Ziva smiled slightly, wiggling her fingers just to spite him, "I know."


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Yay! I actually stuck to a deadline I made! Look, I know this chapter isn't entirely medically accurate, and in a way, it isn't supposed to be. Read and review!

Oh, pardon any spelling/grammar errors. Ever tried writing a fic at 0200 with a migraine?

* * *

"I don't want you to worry about a thing, dear," Ducky smiled, gripping her hand tightly, "It will be over before you know it, and you can go home and spend some time relaxing."

"Somehow, I do not think I will be able to relax, Ducky," Ziva muttered, fighting to keep her eyes open. How could anyone expect her to "be calm" or "relax"? In the past week, her life had changed dramatically. She'd gone from living what to her was a normal life, to being pregnant, to being engaged, to not being pregnant, to not being engaged, and back to being engaged again. At what point did life become so complicated?

"Okay..." a young nurse, who sounded a bit stressed, walked up to Ziva, forcing a smile, "Laproscopy. Finally, something easy!"

"Just this morning, we've had a quadruple bypass, an angioplasty, and a colostomy," Dr. Metternich added to clear things up, "So, this is a cakewalk for us. I don't think you'll be much trouble." he looked her over suspiciously for a moment, "Nah, you'll be good."

"Yeah, hopefully," the nurse fitted a blood pressure cuff over Ziva's arm, "We just need your vitals...pulse 103, BP 130 over 85. A bit nervous are we?" she smiled, this time genuinely

"No," Ziva insisted, "I am fine."

"I'm sure you are," Ducky sighed, "Its alright to be nervous dear."

"According to your charts, you've never had surgery before?" her anesthesiologist noted, "Its always a bit unnerving the first time, but look on the bright side; you get to spend the next week, have your pals wait on you hand and foot, and eat ice cream 'till it comes your ears! Who wouldn't want that?"

"Ziva, for one," Ducky informed him, "She's not the idle type." truer words were never spoken

"Eh, its band-aid surgery," Dr. Metternich told her, patting her hand supportively, "You'll be on your feet again in no time. Terry, you wanna put her under so we can get started?"

The anesthesiologist nodded, "Okay, honey," he fitted a mask over her face, noticing her eyes widen a bit, "Just breathe, nice and steady. Next thing you know, you'll be back in your room, waiting to go home. What is that?" he picked up the plush hippo, tucked under her arm

"Best not to ask." Ziva murmured, already feeling her conscious mind lose touch with her body. She felt weightless and weak, lost in her own body. She felt a warm hand close over hers

"Don't worry," Ducky soothed, stroking the back of her hand lightly with his thumb, "I will be here with you through to the end."

* * *

"DiNozzo, stop!" Gibbs ordered gently, watching Tony pace the waiting room, "You're making me sick!"

Tony reluctantly sat down next to Gibbs and Jen, feeling the need to do something other than sit there, "Sorry, boss. I just don't know what I should do."

"Well, for starters you could get some sleep," Jen suggested, "I don't think I've seen you leave the hospital in three days. She's going to be in surgery for another hour or so, and you won't be able to see her for a little while after that. So why don't you take some time to take care of yourself?"

"She's right," Gibbs told him, knowing that Tony knew this already, "You're not helping her by making yourself miserable. Once she goes home tonight, she's gonna need you one way or another. Do you really think you can handle that right now?" Tony looked like he hadn't slept in a week, and he probably hadn't for close to that. Every free second he had was spent at Ziva's bedside, keeping her company during these dark times

"I can't leave," Tony stubbornly insisted, "not until I know she came out of this okay."

"Ducky's in with her," Jen reminded him, "he won't let anything happen to her on his watch."

"Go." Gibbs implored, handing Tony a twenty dollar bill, "Go get something to eat, go get some sleep... hell, just superglue McGee to his typewriter for all I care! Just do something to take your mind off this."

"Thanks boss."

* * *

Gibbs had fallen asleep in the deeply sunken, hideously orange chairs of the waiting room without realizing it. He didn't know he'd fallen asleep until he felt a sharp jab in his arm, "Jethro!"

"I'm awake!" he quickly looked around, remembering where he was. Hospital. Ziva. Tony. Surgery. "What's going on, Duck?" he muttered, blinking a few times to wake himself up

"Well, for starters, the procedure went beautifully, and she is currently in recovery, where she will stay under observation for the next hour or so," Ducky was beaming, so he knew there had to be more to it than that, "But not all is lost as we had feared!"

"Oh?"

* * *

Tony returned a short time later, coffee in hand. He'd finally decided to do one selfish thing, and got himself some Starbucks. When he returned to the waiting room, he found it empty. "Boss? Director?" he ran up to the receptionist's desk desperately, "Can you tell me the condition of Ziva David?"

She typed away, squinting to see the screen in front of her, "She's in post-op recovery, ward 8-C. You can probably go see her now." she looked up from her screen to see Tony already bolting down the hall, "You're welcome!" she bellowed after him

* * *

"Ziva?" Tony stopped in the doorway, where Ducky was holding his fingers to his lips, "She okay?" he whispered, pulling back the curtains around her bed, "Hey, Ziva?"

She was still unconscious, laying limp under the covers. Bert, Abby's flatulent companion, remained ever vigilant, sitting on the nightstand, watching over her. She didn't seem to be in pain. In fact, it didn't seem like she had any awareness at all, something that scared him a bit. Ducky placed a supportive hand on Tony's shoulder, "She should be waking any time now. I have some news, but I want to wait until she comes around, so I can tell you both."

Tony nodded, sitting down on the bed beside her, "Hey, you gonna wake up?" he lightly stroked her cheek, making her turn her head away from him, "Take all the time you need," he soothed lovingly, "I'm waiting though, whenever you're ready to wake up."

Ziva slowly opened her eyes, taking in this new environment she was in. It was warm and humid, almost uncomfortably comfortable. She was packed in with a half dozen blankets, and nearly that many pillows. Most of them were likely from Abby, seeing as she doubted vampire bat shaped pillows were hospital issue, "Tony?" she finally found her voice

"Yeah, I'm right here," he assured her, "Ducky's here too. He hasn't left your side for a minute, just like he promised." he smiled at the Scotsman, grateful for his devotion

"Your surgery went very well dear, and your physician said that you may go home as soon as you feel up to it," he handed her an envelope, "Here are some pictures from your procedure. I wasn't sure if you'd want them or not, but they are rather interesting. This one in particular," he pulled out a picture, "Any guess as to what this is?"

Ziva shook her head, "No, I am too tired to think, Ducky," she groaned, wanting to go back to sleep for a month

"Anthony? Any guesses?" he handed the picture over to Tony

"Um... liver and onions? Head cheese?" he guessed, "I don't know, if you squint it looks like a fish fillet?"

"Well, no," Ducky chuckled, "So close, but yet so very far. That would be the inside of your uterus, Ziva." he showed her the pictures, "And what do you suppose 'that' is?" he pointed to a small lump in the middle

"Please tell me that I do not have cancer, Ducky?" Ziva pleaded, having had enough doctors, surgeries, hospitals, and stress already

"Oh, heavens no!" he reassured her, "No, certainly not! But what this is...is simply mind boggling. According to your blood work, this simply isn't possible, but that is an embryo dear!" he gave her a light peck on the cheek, "Congratulations, dear. You're pregnant."

"How's that possible?" Tony eyed the picture again, more critically this time, "They said they couldn't save it. They said the baby was already dead."

"Yes, that one I am afraid is no longer with us," he sighed sadly, "And I am truly sorry for your loss. However it seems that your lost child had a twin, which managed to make it safely into the uterus, and develop into a healthy pregnancy. I know it cannot replace the one you lost, but it is nothing short of a miracle. Your blood work, just a few hours ago, showed that you were no longer pregnant. But after seeing this...well, you could imagine the doctor's surprise! They ran another blood sample once they finished up, and as it turns out, everything is normal and healthy."

Ziva looked at Ducky, on the verge of tears, "If this is a joke, it is not funny, Ducky."

"No joke," he promised, "You have my word. I was skeptical at first too, but the evidence says otherwise. They ran the sample twice in fact. You are indeed with child, Ziva."

Tony looked up at the ceiling, "Okay, now you're just screwing with me, huh?" he wasn't expecting an answer, but for some reason this helped, "I thought so. This is real? I get something good this time?" he lowered his gaze, now speaking to himself, "Maybe He doesn't hate me after all."

"Tony, who are you talking to?" Ziva asked, leaning back, getting ready to fall back asleep

He bend over, giving her a gentle, loving kiss, "No one, sweet cheeks. Get some rest, okay? Once you wake up, I'll take you home."


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Sorry for the slow update. I've been watching the Olympics pretty much constantly! Michael Phelps pwns!

Oh, as strange as it sounds (I need this for another fic), if you love (or hate) zombie movies, give me a summary of the best and worst you've seen in a PM. If you do this, not only will I be happy, but I will update my other fics faster!

* * *

McGee stood back, keeping his distance. He held out a hand behind him, keeping a bouncing Abby at bay, "What? McGee, let me in!"

"Sh!" he held a finger to his lips, "They're sleeping, so you need to settle down a bit."

"Me?" Abby pouted in mock hurt, "Have I ever been too loud, McGee?" she grinned, tiptoeing into the hospital room quietly, "Aw...cute!" she took out her phone and took yet another picture. She just couldn't resist a moment like this

Ziva lay sprawled out across Tony's chest, he head tucked into the crook of his arm. There was a little dark stain on Tony's shirt where she'd drooled a bit on him. His arms were draped protectively around her as they both slept. Even Ziva's deafening snoring didn't seem to bother anyone, especially her dozing partner.

"Abbs, no blackmail," McGee cautioned, "Do you really want to end up on Ziva's bad side?"

"No, but I'm not worried," she sat down in a chair next to the sleeping lovers. She eyed them critically and announced a bit louder than she'd meant to, "They're gonna make cute babies!"

"Heh, I hope so," Tony smiled, his eyes still closed, "Her eyes, her hair, hell, everything about her, just my last name."

"Aw!" Abby awkwardly hugged Tony, careful not to disturb Ziva, "That's so sweet! So, its true! You guys are still having a baby?"

"Yeah, the pictures all over NCIS are kind of an indication," McGee smiled, handing Tony a manila envelope, "When Ducky showed us the pictures, Abby went a bit nuts."

"Did not!" she insisted

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Enough!" Tony cut them off before they woke Ziva, "Define 'nuts'?" considering that this was _Abby _they were talking about, the possibilities were endless

"She went to Kinko's and made like a thousand copies," McGee opened his wallet, revealing a wallet sized picture of Tony and Ziva's unborn child, "They're everywhere. Bathrooms, breakroom, Autopsy, you name it. She made you guys a bunch too."

"Not a thousand...well, maybe if you count the ones I sent digitally..." Abby muttered

"Thanks, Abby," Tony smiled, placing a picture in his own wallet as well. He winced slightly, feeling Ziva begin to stir, "Sorry, Ziva. Didn't mean to wake you."

"When did I fall asleep?" she grumbled, forcing herself up, "I do not remember falling asleep. Why did you not wake me?" she asked Tony

"You needed to rest," Tony reminded her, "You just had surgery, so you're gonna be tired for a little while. The doctor said for the next few days especially to get plenty of rest so you'll be back on your feet faster. Unless you'd rather be cooped up in bed for a month?" he knew that one of the hardest parts of her being pregnant would be getting her to slow down a bit to take care of herself. If nothing else, she needed to do it for their baby, "Plus, its better for the baby if you get more sleep; that way you aren't as stressed."

"I know," she admitted, "When can I go home?"

Tony picked up a file off of her endtable, "Well, whenever you want. The nurses said once you woke up, you can go home whenever you think you're ready." he opened to a page in the back and handed her a pen, "I took care of the paperwork, just need you to sign there."

She raised her eyebrows, "You did this already?" she signed it and handed the folder to McGee, "Would you run that down to the nurse's station?"

"Yeah, no problem," McGee smiled, "Bet you're glad to be going home, huh?"

"Well, technically, you're not," Abby told them, "Gibbs has 'offered', meaning you're _going_ to do it, to let you guys stay over at his place while you're recovering," she handed Ziva an overnight bag, "I picked out some clothes for you; you really need to wear some of these things more often. I mean, there were actually some _really_ cute things in your closet that I've never seen you wear!"

"And I may never fit into them again," Ziva pessimistically noted

"Hey, I don't care how big you get," Tony encouraged, "Can I get fat too?" he kissed her cheek sweetly, "I'll get bigger than you, I swear!"

She laughed, "Yes, Tony. I will look smaller in comparison, I suppose. But once the baby is born, and I feel up to it again, that weight is coming off; on both you and me."

"Oh...well, then maybe I'll just stick with where I'm at."

* * *

Ziva stepped out of her room, wearing floppy pajamas and slippers. Abby had done a poor job of picking sensible clothes, but at least they were comfortable. She was greeted by the others with a wheelchair waiting, "No. I refuse to leave this hospital in a wheelchair!"

Tony led her over to the seat, "Hospital policy; you have to leave in one of these." he sat down in the chair, pulling Ziva into his lap, "However, hospital policy does have its loopholes. Probie!" Tony ordered, "Our chariot awaits!"

McGee was tempted to dump him out of the chair, and he would have if Tony didn't have Ziva perched on his lap. He walked them out to the car, Abby happily walking along with them, discussing wedding plans with Ziva, "So, when are you guys gonna get married?"

"I do not know," Ziva told her honestly, "Either very soon, or not for a while. If I choose a few months from now, any dress I choose will not fit me by the date of the wedding. So either before I start to show, or after the baby is born."

"Its gonna be kinda rough doing it after," Abby noted, "I mean, planning a ceremony with a baby? Plus, not a very romantic honeymoon."

"Any worse than having sex while pregnant?" Ziva smirked

"Hey, we have yet to judge what that's like!" Tony happily pointed out, earning three slaps from his colleagues, Gibbs-style, "Okay, I deserved that."

* * *

Gibbs greeted them in the driveway, walking Ziva up to the house, "Glad to see you more or less back on your feet, David."

From the car, Tony called, "That's okay! I didn't need help with the bags anyway!"

Smirking, Gibbs turned to Tony, "What? You want your host or your pregnant fiancee to take care of it for you?"

Tony simply grunted in discontentment, handing Ziva her bag, "Abbs packed enough to get you by until the kid moves out."

"Okay," Gibbs walked down the hall, Tony and Ziva following him, "Bathroom's there, kitchen's there. Ziva? You're staying in here." he opened the door to the guest room, inviting her inside, "Not much, but its only for a couple of days."

"You do know that you did not need to do this, yes?" Ziva smiled, tossing her bag to the foot of the bed

"Hey, you need to rest and Tony would have driven you nuts at home," Gibbs smiled, "Trust me, its not a problem. But I am _not_ going to play referee while you two try to kill each other. DiNozzo? You bug her, I'm not going to be able to protect you."

"That's comforting," Tony noted, heading to the kitchen for much needed coffee, "So where am I staying?"

"Well, you can have either the couch, or stay in with Ziva." Gibbs got out the cream and sugar for Tony. In fact, Tony was the only reason that creamer was ever in his fridge. It just showed up one day, and he'd kept it stocked over the past few years for times like theses

"You trust Ziva and I to share a room?"

Gibbs took a long lazy sip, amused by Tony's ignorance, "Well, you already knocked her up. The damage is pretty much done, isn't it? And I said you could have either the couch _or _stay with her."

"Um, not following, boss."

"Its not your decision." Gibbs told him simply, "Trust me. Over the next nine months, the couch is going to become invaluble to you."

"Hey, just because you spent most of your marriages in the doghouse, doesn't mean I will!" Tony got a bit worried by the amused, pitiful look he was getting from Gibbs

"Oh, really?" Gibbs walked back down the hall, asking loud enough that Ziva could hear from her room, "Nah, she's not showing yet Tony, what are you talking about?" he smiled, watching Tony cringe as the words left his lips

"What?!" they heard Ziva yell

Tony ran out the front door, stopping in the doorway for a second, turning back to a cackling Gibbs, "You're twisted, you know that?!"


	9. Chapter 9

AN: For the next few days, I'm going to try to update as much as possible, because due to financial strain, I don't know how much longer we'll have internet. You benefit from my stress!

* * *

Gibbs stood waiting in the doorway, knowing it would only be a matter of time before the chase ended; either Ziva would kill him, or she would give out from exhaustion. They'd been gone only a few minutes, but he was starting to worry. He was about to go ahead and call Tony to make sure everything was alright when he saw them coming around the corner.

Tony held Ziva in his arms while she repeatedly punched him in the chest. He shrugged off her assault, barely feeling her weak blows. "Hit me all you want, if that makes you happy. I told you, it was just Gibbs wanting to see me get my ass kicked."

She finally quit, too tired to continue, "I will ask him once we get back, and see what he says. If he is lying, I will know." she could tell that Tony was being sincere, but she couldn't resist watching him squirm a little

"You're beautiful," he assured her, "And still very little; we need to get you fattened up!" he teased, setting her down when they came to the stairs in front of Gibbs house, slipping an arm around her still flat abdomen to steady her, "You're eating for two, so we need to get you some junk food!"

"No..." she groaned, "Hello, Gibbs." Ziva greeted kindly, "What is this I hear about me showing?"

"Hey, Tony said it!" Gibbs insisted, though he knew he couldn't lie to Ziva and have her buy his bogus lie. He looked her over, a bit worried, "You okay? You seem a bit out of it."

She shrugged, letting Tony lead her back to bed, "I think I may have pulled something." she pulled off her shirt, tossing it into the pile of laundry in the bathroom on her way by, showing Gibbs her stitches, which were torn slightly

Gibbs sighed, "I'll call Ducky, see if he can come patch you up again."

Tony flopped down beside her on the bed, pulling her snugly into his arms, "You pushed yourself too hard, sweetcheeks. If you want to beat the crap out of me that bad, just ask and I'll hold still."

She glared at him, "I am not an invalid, I will hurt you if and when I want. If you let me, it takes the fun out of it."

"You make it sound like a sport!" he said, rubbing his arm, now slightly sore from where she'd smacked him, "Fine."

Gibbs walked back in, handing his cell to Ziva, "Ducky wants to talk to you."

"Hello?" she asked, all malice toward Tony gone from her voice

"_Ziva, my dear, Jethro tells me you've gone and torn your stitches. They just put those in three hours ago!" _he chuckled a bit, knowing that he shouldn't be surprised that she couldn't stay still for three hours, much less nine months

"Tony said that I was showing," she defended her actions, "I could not let him get away with that!"

She could hear Ducky sigh from the other end, "_No, I suppose not. How bad is the damage?"_

"Just three stitches are loose," she checked her stomach, which Tony was paying close attention to. She smacked him lightly, "What are you doing?" she quietly hissed, covering the receiver so that Ducky wouldn't overhear

"Watching it grow..." Tony told with hypnotized fascination before Ziva hit him again

"_Just three?"_ she could practically see Ducky rubbing his temple in frustration from there, _"You do realize that there were only four stitches put in?"_

"Ah," Ziva nodded, "What do I do until you get here?"

"_Take it easy, rest, read a good book,"_ he suggested, "_You're supposed to be on bed rest for a while, so just do whatever you're comfortable doing. If you cannot resist the urge to hurt your future husband- yes, I can hear you two exchanging words and blows- ask Jethro to do it for you. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to oblige."_

"Thank you, Ducky."

* * *

Tony lay alongside Ziva, watching her sleep. He'd come so close to losing everything he held dear, he wasn't going to let it happen again. Part of him refused to sleep, out of fear that this was all a dream, and if he awoke, it would end and he would have nothing.

"Hey, you awake?" Gibbs called softly, poking his head in

"She's dozing," Tony whispered, holding a finger to his lips

Gibbs nodded, sitting down on the edge of the bed, "Hey, Ziva." he nudged her lightly, not wanting to startle her into flinging him across the room or holding him at gunpoint, "You've got a visitor."

Ziva stirred slowly, replaying in her mind the events of the last few days, reminding herself how she'd gotten here, "Ducky?"

"No, he's running late," he handed Ziva a box of bandages, "he said to keep it covered until he can check it. Palmer wants to see you."

"What does the Autopsy Gremlin want?" Tony asked, hoping that the ME's assistant wasn't within earshot

"I don't know, why don't you ask him?" Gibbs suggested, sending in Jimmy

"Um, hi guys!" Palmer nervously entered, carrying a large backpack with him, "Did your surgery go okay, Ziva?"

"I do not know," she told him honestly

"You mean, they didn't tell you?" he asked her, horrified

"I was asleep during it," she reminded him, "Do you remember what happens when you are unconscious?" she asked as if it were the most obvious thing in the world

"Well, I guess that makes sense," he took a seat on the bed next to the couple, becoming a bit less tense. He had great respect for Ziva, but also a reasonable fear of her. "Um, I brought you some things; I figured you'd get bored being all cooped up for the next few days."

"That was nice of you, Palmer," Tony told him, "Please tell me you didn't bring her any weapons?"

"No, nothing like that," Jimmy grinned, "Books, video games, that sort of thing..." from his bag, he unpacked a mountain of goods, "I've got the _Harry Potter _series- you liked those, right? I also have a PSP, DS, and these," he held up a large plastic tub that rattled when shaken

"Legos, Palmer?" Tony picked up the bin, fiddling with the interlocking bricks, "She's a twenty-five year old woman, not a ten year old boy."

Jimmy turned to Ziva, his voice a bit hushed, "Actually, those are more to keep him from driving you crazy." he smirked

"Ah," she nodded knowingly, watching Tony fiddle with the Legos. Maybe Abby was right; the only difference between boys and men is the price of their toys

"You're gonna have your hands full," Jimmy noted, "Dealing with a baby _and_ Tony? It'll be like having an infant, toddler and teenager all at the same time!"

"Mister Palmer, what brings you here?" Ducky stepped in, "Anthony, what on Earth?" he picked up Tony's creation, a strange chimera of a beast mixed from various parts from mis-matched Lego animals

"I don't know, I was bored!" Tony defended his creation, setting it on Ziva's nightstand, "There. It'll watch over you, and make sure you're safe."

"Ah, I feel better now," Ziva forced a smile, trying to ignore the creepy thing staring at her

"Now, let's see what you've gone and done," he turned to his assistant, "Mister Palmer, would you mind giving us a moment?"

"Of course," Jimmy stepped out, leaving his belongings behind, "Keep them as long as you want, its no big deal. Feel better!"

Tony helped Ziva out of her nightgown, "It's not too bad, just a bit sore," Ziva winced a bit as Ducky's tweezers pulled out the old torn stitches

"A little soreness is to be expected," he assured her, "But I would advise against this sort of exertion for a while? It doesn't look too bad, so stitches aren't absolutely necessary, but as a precaution, I think its better safe than sorry!"

"I know," Ziva sighed, laying as still as possible while having a needle repeatedly poke through her belly. It was by no means pleasant, but she didn't even wince from the sharp needle weaving in and out. She never would understand how people like Abby would pay hundreds of dollars to have someone jab them with needles. Abby had even tried a few times to convince Ziva to get a tattoo. She declined

"You're all set. Hopefully it wasn't too bad; most of my patients rarely complain about my work you see!" he packed away his things, even handing her a sucker for being a good patient

"Thank you," Ziva smiled, slipping her pajamas back on, "Will this...can this sort of thing hurt the baby?" she asked worriedly, feeling Tony's hand reassuringly grip hers

"Highly unlikely," he promised, "Since its been kept closed, covered and clean the whole time, and you're on antibiotics, there's almost no chance of that." he gave her a quick peck on the cheek, "You're worrying too much, dear. And that's how I know you'll be a wonderful mother."


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Whoohoo, we've got internet (at least through next month)!

By the way, the puke thing is in here because my brothers forced me to watch 4 hours of a stupid show called "Hurl!" on G4 this weekend. I can't get it out of my head, so it ended up in here

* * *

"So...where were we?" Tony grinned, pulling Ziva close, his fingers walking across her shoulders, playing with the straps of her blouse.

"No, no, no," she groaned, shoving him away, "Tony, no, not tonight!"

He pouted, "How come? 'Cause we're in Gibbs' house? Worried we'll get caught?" he asked, a mischievous gleam in his eye, "A little risk makes it all the more irresistible, doesn't it, Zee-Vah?" he teased, nibbling at her ear lobe

She sighed, sitting up and pulling the blankets around herself, "Yes, it does, but my answer is no. I am tired, sore, I feel like I weigh a thousand pounds, and any repetitive motion makes me throw up, and seeing as I take top, that would not abode well for you," she listed off her reasons all on one breath, "Does that sound very romantic to you?"

Tony shrugged, sitting up behind her, massaging her shoulders gently, "Okay, tired I get. Sore I get. But you don't weigh a thousand pounds; the only thing on you thats changed is your boobs are swollen, which hey, I don't mind at all-"

"Speak for yourself!" she huffed

"I don't I always?" he kissed the top of her head, "And if your queasy, just lean over the bed, and try not to aim for my shoes!" he joked, earning himself a playful punch on the arm

"You are not helping," she stated

"But you love me anyway," they both knew it was true. In spite of making a habit out of rubbing each other the wrong way, there was no doubt that the love between the two of them was stronger than ever.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs yelled from the doorway, "Quit molesting her neck, and help me get dinner ready!"

"Bye!" he gave Ziva a quick last peck on the lips before darting into the kitchen after Gibbs

* * *

"Did you even read what Ducky sent you?" Gibbs asked, "Sex and pregnancy...it doesn't always work."

"Uh-huh, sort of figured," Tony replied, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable with this conversation; definitely not a conversation he'd pictured himself having with his boss.

"Hey, do you want to spend the next eight months by her side, helping pick out baby clothes or do you want to spend it in the doghouse like I did?"

"You?" Tony chuckled, "Can't say I'm surprised. I mean, four wives, you must have done something to piss them off once or twi-" he felt his teeth rattle as Gibbs smacked him, "Right. So, no sex for nine months?! How the hell do you survive that?" he'd only gone a few weeks without being with Ziva, and it was already messing with his head. Every night he would dream about it, waking up in a cold sweat, greeting the day with a cold shower.

"Well, have you tried talking to her about it?" he suggested, handing Tony a plate of pasta, "Take that to Ziva, see if she'll eat. So far, all she's had today is crackers and ginger ale."

* * *

"Ziva?" he held out the plate to her, "Hungry?"

She groaned at the sight of the food, "No, I am not eating that!"

"How come?" he sat down beside her, eating her meal for her

"It is bad enough throwing up almost nothing, I am not going to start throwing up spaghetti!" several weeks ago, out of sheer boredom and far too much free time, Tony and Abby made a list of the worst foods to regurgitate. Among the worst were spaghetti, tacos, and Chinese food. They dubbed yogurt as the "best" food to puke. They'd emailed the list to a majority of NCIS, and the list eventually was forwarded to Director Shepherd, who put a ban on all non-work related communications via NCIS property, a ban which included blocking_ MySpace, YouTube_, and all other "social sites" from being accessed by NCIS computers

"Okay, what _do_ you want to throw up?" he asked, realizing a bit too late how stupid that question came out sounding, "Er, you know what I mean!"

She smirked, "Yes, I know. I suppose there is no "good" food for that, in spite of what you and Abby came up with." she stared out the window pensively, "I want chicken."

"That narrows it down..." Tony muttered, a bit too loud considering the glare he earned from his fiancée, "I mean, can you be a bit more specific?" he took his plate into the kitchen, rummaging through the refrigerator, "We've got Chinese chicken, chicken nuggets, I think there's chicken soup in the cupboard, what do you want?"

Ziva nudged him aside, checking the contents of the fridge for herself, "Hm, something spicy..."

"I thought you were nauseous?" he didn't like where this was going

"I am," she shrugged, "But I want something spicy."

"Even though you _know_ what its going to do to you?" women made no sense to him, and that went double for pregnant women

She stared at him dangerously, "Is that a problem, Tony?"

"No! No problem!" he ran out into the living room, grabbing Gibbs' keys off the coffee table. He opened the basement door, bellowing down to the depths below, "Gibbs! I'm borrowing your truck! Ziva wants food!"

"Take your cell," Gibbs advised, "By the time you get what she wants, she'll have changed her mind five or six times."

* * *

"Alright...I've got the best buffalo wings in DC with your name on it!" Tony proudly presented Ziva with her food. She took the bag from him, her eyes downcast and bloodshot, "Don't tell me; I got the wrong thing? If you want, I can go and get you something else?" he offered, leading her over to the couch, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she lied, nibbling at one of the wings, "What are these?"

"Buffalo wings," he repeated, growing more worried by the minute

"Buffalo are like oxen, yes?" she eyed the food critically, "They do not have wings. I have seen them. And if they did, their wings would have to be much larger than this, otherwise they would not do much good."

Tony smiled at her, "No, they don't. They were invented in Buffalo, New York. Hence, 'buffalo wings'." he put an arm around her middle, resting his head on her shoulder, "Hey, what's wrong, sweetcheeks?"

She set down her food, still largely untouched, "My father called while you were gone."

"Oh?" he didn't like where this was going. Whenever her father was mentioned, she always either tried to change the subject or threatened him into dropping it, "About what?"

"Us. This," she placed a hand on her belly, "At first, I was worried that he would want me to return to Israel. But that was not the case," Tony breathed a sigh of relief, a bit too soon, "He does not ever want to see me back. It was...basically a half-hour of yelling and screaming, mostly him calling me a whore, and me calling him a bastard." tears were now flowing shamelessly down her face

"Hey, don't listen to him," he rubbed her tears away with his thumb, "You're four weeks along, and already a better parent than he ever was!"

"How could you possibly know that?" there was a lot about her past that she hadn't told him, especially when it came to her past and her family

"Well, for starters you've never called our baby a whore," he pointed out, "You've shown this kid nothing but love, and gone through hell for it. That's more than he's ever done for you."

She sniffled a bit, "Thank you. I am sorry," she dried her eyes on her sleeve, "I should not be crying like this. Hormones..."

"Yeah, I know."

* * *

Gibbs ventured out of his basement, now that Ziva'd had time to simmer down. He'd overheard her heated argument with her father, only understanding a few words he'd heard Ziva use only rarely when speaking with an exceptionally difficult suspect.

He didn't find her in her room, or hunched over the toilet, so he checked the living room, where he found her curled up sleeping on the couch in Tony's arms. Her plate of food, long since forgotten, lay on the coffee table, where their feet were resting comfortably. He smirked, whispering in Tony's ear, "I told you you'd end up sleeping on the couch."

Tony jumped slightly, careful not to disturb his sleeping lover, "Geez, Gibbs! How about a little warning next time?"

"Eh, but then you don't jump," he tossed an afghan over the two of them, "Takes all the fun out of it!"


	11. Chapter 11

AN: Sorry for the delay and for the short chapter!

* * *

Tony poked his head into Ziva's room, "Hey, you ready yet? You've been in there like a half hour!" unlike many women, Ziva usually got dressed, showered and ready long before he did. "We have to be there in an hour, Ziva."

Grunting in frustration, Ziva stood topless, rummaging through her bags. He turned to face Tony, throwing something at him. "I give up." she sighed

"Ooh!" Tony picked Ziva's bra off of his head where it had landed.

"It will not fit. Nothing will!" she complained, finally deciding to simply slip on one of Tony's shirts, "My breasts are swollen, and I cannot fit any of my bras, or shirts for that matter."

"Uh huh..." Tony nodded his head, pretending to be listening while fiddling with Ziva's bra. His eyes shifted back and forth between Ziva's naked chest and her bra in his hands.

"Tony!" Ziva walked up to him, taking the garment from his hands. "If you ever want to see my breasts again, you really should start to pay a bit more attention." she sat down on the bed, fuming

"Hey, hey," Tony moved to sit beside her, pulling her tightly into his arms, "Sorry, sweetcheeks. I didn't mean to be rude or ignore you. You throw a bra at me, what do you expect me to do?" he got a slight smile out of her that time, "We're going home today, we'll go shopping later. You're gonna need clothes that fit, right?"

She nodded, "Abby has already decided that next weekend will be devoted entirely to us shopping." Abby had emphatically made a long list of things that both Ziva and the baby would need. Clothes, diapers, a crib, toys, baby monitors, the list went on and on.

"See? You get to do something fun at least?" he tried to point out the lighter side, but it only seemed to infuriate her, "Uh oh."

"Fun?!" she snapped, "You think this is 'fun'? You try throwing up everything you eat, not being able to wear what you want, going from bitchy to crying my eyes out, to horny every five minutes!" she ranted, pacing the bedroom, waving her arms emphatically.

"'Horny'?" Tony smirked, eying her suggestively.

"Shut up," she punched him, "I do not want to go shopping, because it will only remind me that this...was stupid. We are not married-"

"Yet." Tony interjected, "we will though."

"Yes, but we aren't now," she continued where Tony had cut her off, "we need to figure out where we are going to live; neither of our apartments are big enough. Plus, all of this is going to cost us a fortune, which we don't have!" she finally stopped to breathe, "You see my point, yes?"

"Well, kind of," he pulled an envelope out of his pocket, "I called my dad, told him the news. He said 'I knew this would happen, you finally knocked one up? You're planning on marrying her, right? If you're gonna start a family, you need to do it right.'" he handed her the envelope.

"What is this?" she opened it, and pulled out a check, "Oh, God!"

"Yeah, I know," Tony held her securely, making sure she wouldn't faint. "That's only a drop in the bucket for my dad. Even with like, twelve alimonies? By the way, new 'mom' sends her love," he kissed her softly, "See? If there's one thing we _don't_ have to worry about, it's money."

* * *

"Okay, ready?" Tony asked, offering a hand to Ziva as she got out of the car.

"Tony, I can get in and out of a car without your help," she sighed, ignoring his hand at first, but taking it in hers once she got out on her own.

"I mean, for this?" this was their first visit to their obstetrician outside of the hospital. At first, both of them had been weary of having a male obstetrician, but Ducky insisted that Dr. Paulson was one of the best in practice.

"I think so," she walked up to the front counter and began filling out the tedious forms, "It is just a couple of tests. It should not take long."

"Think we'll find out what we're having?" he asked, placing his hand on her stomach.

"Not yet," she handed him half of the papers to begin filling out, "Ducky said around sixteen weeks we should be able to tell. Abby says if she has a sample of my blood, she might be able isolate the baby's cells and tell us now, but I have had enough of needles already."

"What about an epidural?" he suggested, "The good kind of needle?"

"A what?" she asked

"Epidural; they shove a needle into your spine, and it numbs you up," off Ziva's look he amended, "Okay, 'shove' wasn't a good word for that. More of a 'poke' or 'prick'." he brought the papers back up to the front desk and took a seat with Ziva in the waiting room, "Would you rather _ feel _eighteen or so hours of labor?"

"I can handle it, Tony," she insisted, "Women have been having children for thousands of years. I have probably endured worse; I can handle being in pain."

"But I can't," Tony looked at her pleadingly. He'd seen her endure too much already, "I can't just sit there, waiting idly by while you're in pain, trying to have my kid. I can't watch you suffer like that."

"Then you won't." she decided, "I will take the drugs, Tony." she smiled, feeling his fingers entwine with hers.

"Ziva?" a nurse called, smiling brightly, "We're ready for you."


	12. Chapter 12

AN: Okay, I'm sort of skipping things ahead a little. I just don't want it to get too repetetive and boring.

* * *

"So, ultrasound and blood tests today?" Tony asked, pacing the room to keep himself busy while Ziva changed. He'd gotten used to the idea of her being pregnant, but he still felt a bit on edge.

"Yes, just to make sure everything is as it should be," she stepped out from behind the curtain, her gown tied securely in the back, "Tony? What on earth are you doing?" she smiled, knowing she'd gotten that idiom right.

"Oh, nothing," Tony immediately stepped away from the plastic model of the female reproductive system he'd been examining, "Just...educating myself."

"Uh-huh," she smiled, "Leave the plastic vagina alone, Tony, or you will never again see a real one."

"You're joking, right?" he could never tell when she was joking, or when she was serious. That aspect of her scared him a bit.

A man poked his head in through a crack in the door, "Ziva? I'm Dr. Paulson, Ducky told me you'd be in this morning. You ready?" he gestured for her to sit up on the exam table, "Alright...any problems? Concerns?"

"A little tired, nauseous, sore," she shrugged

"And dizzy," Tony added, "She almost slipped in the shower this morning." Ziva elbowed him painfully in the side, but he didn't really care. He wasn't going to lose her, not over something that stupid.

"It only happened once," she insisted, "And he seemed more distracted by the fact that he was showering with me than my dizziness." she couldn't resist teasing him a bit. Truthfully, he came running when he heard her slip. He stepped in with her, keeping an arm securely around her waist, making sure that she would be alright while they showered.

"That's pretty normal during the first and last trimesters," he told her, "It may have only happened once, but you're still pretty early in your pregnancy. If it happens again, just lay down and rest for a little bit." he turned to Tony, "Mr. DiNozzo? I've got four kids, and have seen more pregnant women than I can count. The only thing worse than a woman who's irritated with you is a pregnant woman who's irritated with you," he tied a tourniquet around Ziva's arm, drawing a vial of blood out.

"Gotcha, doc," Tony nodded

"Good." Dr. Paulson got her vitals, pleased with what he saw, "You're doing pretty well; heart's healthy, your weight's good, everything looks great." both prospective parents breathed a sigh of relief at the good news, "Now, lay back for me, and let's have a look."

Ziva obeyed nervously. She wasn't afraid per se, she just didn't like the idea of having someone poking around, even if that person was a doctor. Tony grabbed some pillows and blankets from the cupboards along the walls, making his fiancée comfortable. "Thank you, Tony," she smiled, enjoying the feeling of his hands wrapped around hers.

"Now just try to relax," he knew that telling her this wouldn't really help much, but it didn't hurt to try, "Your uterus is a bit swollen, that's normal. Interestingly, it's due to hormonal changes. At this point, the baby is still very small, and..." at this point, Tony and Ziva exchanged glances, knowing exactly why Ducky was close friends with this man, "...until parturition, that is, the birthing itself. Now, let's get your ultrasound ready. Have you had one of these before?"

"Yes," Ziva nodded, covering herself back up

"Okay, good," he brought the machine over on a cart, turning on the screen, "You can watch it right there. Now, I need you to drink this," he handed her a large bottle of water

She eyed it curiously, "Why?"

"You get a better picture if you have a full bladder," he explained, "It helps to create separation between your muscle walls, your bladder, and your uterus."

"You are going to be pushing on my stomach and hips, when my bladder is full?"

"That's how it works, yes," he shrugged apologetically

"Hey, you can hold your pee, Zee-vah," Tony smiled, feeling bad for her, but not bad enough to resist giving her a bad time, "Remember that shipping container? You went like 18 hours without peeing then?"

"Tony, I swear, if I do pee, I will pee on you!" she hissed between gulps of water.

"I'll be back in after a few minutes to see if we can get this started." the doctor said as he left

* * *

"Okay, now just lie back," the doctor instructed, "now the pressure might feel uncomfortable, but it shouldn't be painful." he squirted a bit of warm gel on her stomach, moving the probe around

Ziva squirmed slightly. Between the pressure of the probe and the goo dripping down her sides, she was more than ready to get it done and over with. Tony sensed her discomfort, and picked up her hand, "Almost done, sweetcheeks." he promised

"There it is," Dr. Paulson smiled, pointing to the image on the screen, "You can see the head, the heart, and those little stubs are going to be arms and legs."

Tony started at the screen in wonder. It was so much bigger than it was even a few weeks ago. It was beautiful. He brought Ziva's hand to his lips, "Now how about that?"

"Almost done here, Ziva," the doctor wiped away the last of the gel, "You can go to the bathroom now if you want."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Ziva bolted for the door, "Finally!"

"Wait!" he held out a specimen jar, "Might as well knock out two birds with one stone, right?"

"Why would I want to hit a bird with a rock?" she asked, dumbfounded

"Just go, Ziva," Tony sighed

* * *

"Ooh, you need to try on this one!" Abby held up a sweater, squealing with delight, "You're due in December, right? So, you'd be like 7 months in October? This is going to be so cute!"

"Abby, no." Ziva insisted, taking the garment from Abby, "I already am starting to _feel_ like a pumpkin, what makes you think I want to look like one?" the sweater was certainly festive. The bottom half was a jack-o-lantern, with the top half portraying a clear autumn night.

"Hm," Abby placed it back on the rack, "Okay, how about this one?" she seemed to have pointed out every item in the store. "It's kind of a summery thing, but you can dress in layers once it gets warmer?" she suggested, handing Ziva a pink spaghetti strap tank top.

"Abby, I think we have enough for now, how about we take a break for lunch?" Jen suggested, holding out the large bags of clothes they'd already bought.

"Good. I am so hungry, I could eat a house," Ziva groaned, following Abby out as she happily skipped to the car, "Abby, slow down! My feet are killing me..."

"Oh, then we should probably get you new shoes too! I know this place where-" Jen held a finger to Abby's lips, "Okay. Another day maybe? Oh, and it's 'horse', Ziva, not 'house'."

"Speaking of house, do you and Tony know where you're going to be staying?" Jen asked, starting up the car.

"We found a little house in Georgetown which is nice," Ziva told them, "It's not too far from work, but out of the city, which is nice. We are waiting to hear back from the landlord." thankfully, with the economy the way it was, most homeowners were having trouble selling. The house they were hoping for was out of the price range for most, having already been reduced three times, and luckily was just what they'd been looking for.

"Sweet! Good thing Tony's dad's overcompensating for being a crappy dad himself, huh?" Abby quipped

"I suppose," Ziva laughed. She felt her back pocket vibrating as the James Bond theme began to play. '_Tony_' she mouthed to Abby and Jen, "Yes, Tony?"

"_Well, I have good news and bad news,"_ he sighed, knowing she hated it when he toyed with her like this

"Tony, I am not in the mood..." she groaned, kicking off her shoes, freeing her swollen feet

"_Bad news is, we didn't get that house in Georgetown."_ he could hear Ziva's disappointed sigh from the other line, "_Good news is, we did get that one her in DC that we thought we lost! Apparently, the previous buyer's check bounced, and the landlord wants us to come by this weekend to seal the deal."_

"Tony, if you are yanking my hair, I will kill you." she threatened

"_'Chain', Zee-Vah, and no, I'm not kidding," _he could almost see her smile from there, "_When are you coming home? Are we going to have enough for a house after you ladies are done shopping?"_

"Not if Abby has her way, but yes. We will be home soon, we are stopping for lunch."

"_It's 3:30."_

"Yes, and?" she prompted. Listening for an answer, the line went dead. She chuckled, "Come on, let's eat!"

* * *

"Welcome home!" Tony jogged out to the car, taking a doggy bag from Ziva. He sniffed it curiously, "Beef. Cheese. Bacon?" he wrapped his arms around her, "I ever tell you I love you?"

"Yes," she grabbed a couple of bags from the back seat, "All we need is some things for the baby."

"Hey, we've got time, don't worry," he told her between mouthfulls, "Take it easy once in a while."

She shook her head, watching Tony choke down the last of his burger, "And I am taking it easy. I just do not like it." so far, the most difficult part of pregnancy had been lying low. Taking it easy threatened to drive her insane, and apparently running 10 miles a day wasn't what the doctor considered to be "low impact daily exercise".

Tony set the bags down just inside the doorway, placing his hand on Ziva's belly. Now about 20 weeks along, she was starting to get a bit of a bump. "Tony! It moved," he jumped slightly, dropping down to see eye to eye with Ziva's belly. She guided his hand lower, "Right here." hearing its mother's voice, it moved again, only this time, Tony felt it too.

"Wow," was all he could manage, placing a soft kiss on Ziva's stomach, "Hi, I'm your dad."


	13. Chapter 13

AN: Sorry about the delay...

* * *

After what seemed like an eternity of bed rest and so called "down time", Ziva was more than happy to return to work, if only for a short time and confined to desk duty. Jen had already mandated that Ziva take at least six weeks of maternity leave, but urged her to take as much time as she needed to get back on her feet.

"It is good to be back," she sighed, tossing her bag into the corner by her desk as she flopped down comfortably into her chair

"We've missed you, Ziva," McGee smiled, grateful that he was no longer stuck handling Tony and Gibbs alone, "feeling better?"

"Apart from the morning sickness and bloating, yes," she shrugged, "I feel fine."

"Good," Gibbs dropped a stack of files on her desk as he walked by, "I need to keep you busy; you're not going out into the field until you shuck out, so you need something to do."

"I'm sorry, 'shuck out'?" Ziva asked quizzically, looking to her coworkers for an explanation.

"It means give birth, just a much less formal term," Tony noted, flipping through some of Ziva's paperwork, "Boss, this is gonna take months."

"Well, she's got time," Gibbs shrugged, "DiNozzo, McGee, with me. We're going to Quantico. Drug deal gone bad, one dead Marine." as Ziva moved to stand from her desk, Gibbs held out a hand to stop her, "No, you stay here."

* * *

"Um, boss? Did you forget something?" Tony asked as they pulled into Gibbs' driveway, "I thought we were going to Quantico?"

"Does it look like we're in Quantico, DiNozzo?" Gibbs slapped him, "And yes, I know where I live, and no, I didn't forget anything. We've got work to do here."

McGee and Tony loyally followed Gibbs quietly down into his basement. It felt strangely hollow, because there was no boat occupying the room. "How did you get that boat out?" off Gibbs' look, McGee dropped the subject.

"Okay," Gibbs pulled a tarp off of a pile in a corner, "We're not here on case work. We've got a little surprise here in store for Ziva." beneath the cloth was a crib, crafted skillfully by hand. Intricate patterns were inlayed on the bars and trimming.

"Whoa," Tony stared at it appreciatively, "You make that boss?"

"Yep," Gibbs moved to one side of it, "The rest is already there, I just needed a hand getting this out of here. Really didn't want to take it apart and reassemble it. Especially while trying to go behind Ziva's back." Ziva didn't care much for surprises, good or bad, but he had a feeling she'd enjoy this.

* * *

Tony didn't know how Gibbs had managed to get all the rest of this in here without himself or Ziva noticing, but he'd done it. The room, which they'd decided to hold of on furnishing until they knew what they were having, was already set up and ready. The blankets and toys they'd bought were even put in their proper places.

"How long did it take you to make all of this?" McGee asked, sliding the crib into the corner of the nursery where Tony wanted it

"Well, she's 26 weeks along," Gibbs stated, "How long do you think it took me?"

"Oh," he looked around the room. For such a short time frame, Gibbs had accomplished quite a bit. A crib, dresser, toy chest, and a rocking chair, all adorned the room. "How did you find the time?"

"Took the boat out, started on this," Gibbs shrugged, "Had some trouble getting it though out for some reason." Tony and McGee exchanged curious glances, "Plus I've done it all before."

"Ah, right..." Tony sighed, remembering Gibbs' loss. He knew that his own was nothing compared to Gibbs losing his wife and daughter, but ever since Ziva lost their first one, he felt changed, different, "So you think Ziva'll be happy? Well, maybe not because she's sitting at her desk, bored. But this'll mean a lot to her Gibbs."

"Yeah, I know."

* * *

Ducky wandered upstairs, the need to feel useful becoming stronger. The past few days had been abnormally calm, so he knew that before long, there would be some sort of catastrophe.

He smiled, finding Ziva slumped over, sleeping at her desk with her head flopped down on a pile of papers. He sat down a cup of coffee for her on the desk, knowing the scent would wake her. Because of her pregnancy, she'd restricted her caffeine. Ducky brought her decaf on occasion, and the placebo effect alone was enough to keep her going on most days.

"Huh?" Ziva bolted, up, embarrassed from having fallen asleep on the job, "Oh, hello Ducky."

"Ziva my dear, how have you been?" Ducky embraced her warmly, "Glad to see you back. However I take it that Director Shepherd will not clear you for field work?" he knew that Ziva had been chomping at the bit for months, wanting to make herself feel useful again. Now that she was back where she felt she belonged, she seemed more relaxed and content.

"No," Ziva added the latest completed form to the pile, "I am combined to my desk for the next 14 weeks, then I will be forced to take maternity leave."

"I believe you mean 'confined', Ziva," Ducky corrected kindly.

"Same thing," she shrugged, "I thought that you would be with Gibbs. He said that there was a Marine murdered in Quantico."

Ducky looked at her, perplexed, "Well, this is the first I've heard of it. Perhaps you misheard?" feeling Ziva's glare boring holes through him, he added, "Or perhaps it was a hoax, a false report?"

"I suppose," Ziva shrugged, laying her head back down on the desk.

"Are you feeling alright dear?" Ducky asked, a bit concerned, "It's not like you to be so passive."

"The baby kept waking me in the night," he hands drifted down to her stomach, "It seems like whenever I lay down, he plays hacky-sack with my bladder." she noticed that Ducky was struggling to suppress a chuckle, "What? I know I got that one right!"

"No, no," he smiled, "your analogy isn't the problem. But much like your future husband, regardless of how irritating he is, you still love him. You are having a boy, aren't you?"

"Yes," she nodded, sipping at her coffee, "Tony was very happy to hear. I honestly do not know which he would prefer, but he seems content to be having a son." that day in the doctor's office, Tony was overjoyed, tears running down his cheeks. "_It's a boy, Ziva. We're having a little boy!" _he'd whispered in her ear

"Hm, just be careful what you let him teach that child!" Ducky cautioned

"I know," Ziva nodded, "I have nightmares about it."


	14. Chapter 14

AN: Sorry it's been over a year since I've updated anything. It took me a while to get some things in my life straightened out and fanfiction ended up ranking relatively low on my priorities list.

* * *

_Abz, need u 2 stall 4least 1hr, keep Ziva away._

Abby closed her phone and cursed a little under her breath. She knew that she and Ducky would have to keep Ziva away from the house until they were finished setting up but it wasn't supposed to take this long and she didn't wast Ziva to suspect that something was amiss. _Why did they have to be so slow?_

Upstairs, Ducky sat with Ziva sharing a cup of tea, "I am sure that it will be fine. You worry too much, my dear."

"I know, and he means well," Ziva shook her head, "Every time I feel sore or tired he panics! I know he is only being protective of me and the baby but I can take care of myself."

"Ah, Abby was there something you needed?" Ducky noticed Abby standing behind Ziva trying to signal something to him. He assumed that her gesturing was sign language but he didn't know nearly as much as Abby or Gibbs.

"Um, not needed exactly." she paced, her usual nervous habit especially, when on a caffeine high, " The director said since there aren't any hot cases right now that we can take the afternoon off."

"Really?" Ducky was skeptical and he was certain that there was more that Abby was trying to tell him that wasn't meant for Ziva's ears. "So I suppose since we have a little time off, I would like you girls to accompany me to go and have some lunch."

Abby nodded eagerly, giving Ducky a thumbs up.

Ziva shook her head, "Thank you, Ducky. But I am tired and having the afternoon off means that I might be able to get some rest. He has been keeping me up at night." she caressed her stomach, talking to her restless son, "Yes, I mean you."

Ducky noticed Abby shaking her head a little bit, trying to be discrete. "Hm, are you sure that your lethargy is due to inadequate sleep? What all have you had to eat today?"

"An apple, some toast, and an egg, why?" Ziva shrugged.

"I believe that your blood sugar may be a bit low," Ducky stood up and gestured for the girls to follow him, "Come with me, down here."

* * *

Down in autopsy, Ducky rummaged through a few drawers until he found what he was looking for. "Ah, here we are. Most women experience some degree of change in glucose tolerance during pregnancy and in around five percent of cases this can lead to gestational diabetes."

"You think I am diabetic?" Ziva asked, "I was tested last week and it was negative."

"That doesn't guarantee that your blood glucose level is normal," he picked up Ziva's hand and gently pricked the tip of her finger, "I simply worry about you, my dear. And I want to make sure that it in only nothing."

"Ducky's right," Abby assured her, "Better safe than sorry, right?"

"Let's see," Ducky tested the strip with Ziva's blood, "95 isn't bad but a tad bit low. Let's get you something to eat and then I will drive you home so that you may get some rest."

Ziva agreed, if nothing else to placate their concerns, "Alright, let me grab my jacket and I will meet you down in the garage."

* * *

After Ziva left, Abby turned to Ducky. She felt a little guilty about tricking Ziva, but she hoped that after she saw the surprise that was being set up at her house, all would be forgiven. "Tony needs us to stall for another hour or so because they're not ready yet."

"I figured that, however if you had been a bit clearer I wouldn't have had to scare the poor thing into thinking that there may be something wrong that could put her or her child at risk!" he was more frustrated at the situation than upset with Abby. "She really shouldn't worry about diabetes. She's as healthy as a horse and if her test last week was negative, she shouldn't be concerned. High blood sugar is more of a concern than having it be low five hours after eating breakfast."

"So Ziva's fine, right?" Abby asked nervously.

"Yes, she's perfectly fine from what I can tell," he put the supplies away and grabbed his jacket and hat, "Her blood glucose level is actually 110, which is healthy, but I still would feel better if she ate more than apples, toast and an egg."

* * *

"Probie? How's it coming?" Tony finished putting the bedding on the crib mattress along with a bumper on the railing to keep his son from bumping into the wooden bars.

"Almost done," McGee was perched on a ladder, hanging the banner for Ziva's baby shower. "There, how's that?"

"Crooked, McGee." Gibbs pointed out, sipping coffee in the kitchen. "Your end needs to be up about two inches."

"Damn." he pulled out the nail and moved it up, trying for the third time to get it right. "Third time's the charm, right?"

* * *

"I know of a lovely Italian bistro a few blocks away, how does that sound?" Ducky offered.

"Sounds nice, Ducky." Ziva smiled, "And thank you. For everything."

He smiled warmly at her, "My pleasure. I know you hate the feeling of having people dote on you, but you may as well try to at least enjoy it a little? Pregnancy is not a disability and you shouldn't feel like you're an invalid for having people care for you."

Abby nodded, "Enjoy it while you can. Plus, Tony's your bitch until that baby comes!"

"Abigail!" Ducky scolded gently.

Ziva laughed, "She is not wrong. He has been very...I do not know how to describe it. He worries about me, and has been very protective. I am no longer on bed rest, but he seems to still be watching every move I make to see that I am safe. He glares at any man who looks at me, and it almost seems like he has been more affectionate since I have gotten pregnant." Most women worried about their men not finding them as attractive during pregnancy. However Ziva had the opposite problem. To Tony, bed rest meant keeping her content at all times to the point where neither of them ever wanted to leave the bedroom. He made sure to let her know that he thought she was beautiful, and he never let her forget it.

"Aw, how sweet!" Abby cooed, "That's not because you're pregnant, or on bed rest. The guy's head over heels." Off Ziva's puzzled look, she elaborated, "Smitten, lovestruck, dumbfounded, pussy whipped?"

"I'm sorry, 'pussy whipped'?" Ziva was almost afraid to ask.

Abby demonstrated by making whipping noises. "The man's in love, Ziva."

* * *

After lunch, as promised Ducky drove Ziva home. She had eaten a little more than she'd liked. Whenever she ate, the baby would always wake up. In spite of her odd and often intense cravings, it was still at times difficult to eat while she could feel something moving inside her.

"Here you are," Ducky pulled into the driveway and got out and walked around to open the door for her.

"Ducky, always a gentleman." Ziva smiled.

She agreed to let Ducky walk her to her door, even though it was less than twenty feet because she had begun to accept the fact that regardless of what she said, he was always going to be chivalrous to her as he would with any woman. "Now, there is one more thing before I go."

"And what would that be, Ducky?"

"Surprise." Tony opened the door, and lead his fiancée inside.

Ziva gasped looking around. The table was covered with gifts, balloons, blue ribbons and streamers decorated everywhere she looked, and everyone was standing around waiting. Director Shephard, who had given them all the afternoon off, stepped forward and embraced her friend, "It's a baby shower, Ziva. Surprise!"

* * *

AN: Sorry if there are any discrepancies, keep in mind it's been over a year since I've done fanfiction so I may have gotten a few things mixed up that don't match up with previous chapters. I hope it was worth waiting! Review please?


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